In Cameroon, when a young Fali man becomes betrothed, he makes a doll
(ham pilu) from wood and decorates it with hair, beads, and other small
objects. He then gives it to his fiancee, who wears it in a baby carrier
on her back. The doll is a symbol of their marriage commitment and represents
their future child. The man gives the doll the gender that he desires for
his first-born. The young woman cares for the figure until the promised
child is born; at this point, the couple carefully stores the doll away.
---From ISN'T S/HE A DOLL, PLAY AND RITUAL IN AFRICAN SCULPTURE (1996)
by Elisabeth Cameron